The Beta Queen

Chapter 7

I wasn't at all surprised that I heard about Arsen's awakening before I saw him. 

I was glad to have been out running but I'd heard he'd made quite the scene. It amused me to think of his huge figure storming around the grounds like a petulant child, barking at anyone who dared make eye contact.

Nonetheless by the time I'd arrived he seemed to have somewhat regained composure though I could see his whole body bristling, the black aura around him imploding. He stood outside my chambers staring down the two guards who barely reacted to his presence.

"It's good to see you back on your feet" I said as I approached.

He turned, his eyes hard and teeth gritted.

"I demand a rematch" 

I cocked an eyebrow at him 

"I won, fair and square"

"You used magic!"

"Magic?" I queried as I took a step closer, standing right in front of him.

His stature was intimidating but after confirming I could best him in a fight it hardly mattered that I had crane my neck to look at him. I observed the aura around him again, suppressing it slightly as I had in our fight. Impressively he barely wavered, though the discomfort was clear in his face.

"I would dare you to call the Goddess's gift to her chosen, 'magic' again. Some would say that was blasphemy. Do you think me a witch?"

His mouth twitched but he said nothing. I stopped playing with his aura, feeling satisfied as a brief look of relief passed over his face. 

"Arsen, I have known many men like you. Powerful wolves who have never had to even fathom the idea of losing. Not too long ago I was under the thumb of a man like that, someone who feared loss so much that they would turn to kinslaying. In comparison to him you are nothing"

A threatening growl permeated the air but it didn't phase me.

"I have seen the rock bottom. I'm not afraid of you. You may be here to display strength and bandy around your authority but you would do well to forget who rules these lands and who I had to defeat to rightfully claim them."

"You are no Queen of mine" he sneered 

"Well then you are wasting your time here, I'd be happy for you to take your leave and prove your worth to whomever your rightful ruler is."

I watched as his jaw clenched but he said nothing more. 

With that I moved away and into my chambers hearing his loud snarl as the doors closed behind me. 

I released a quiet sigh as I sank into the nearest chaise. I had hoped Arsen would have been asleep for a little longer, it had been less than a week and I'd gotten optimistic that this pause in the competition would have given me more time.

I tried not to think about it too much but once again my mind wandered to Kai. Had he been keeping track of me like I had him? What would he think of all this? These last four years I had changed so much and I imagined with his journey he too was a different man.

I found my hand caressing my necklace, I hadn't had the heart to  take it off since I'd put it on. Alora didn't like it, Dale was a stranger to her and obstacle and any reminders of him irritated her immensely.

Over the years as I'd reflected on our complicated love triangle new questions had arose but neither of the Red Moon brothers were here to answer them let alone help me work through them. 

Though I dwelled on it less over time, I often felt deeply frustrated of how much had been kept from me and for how long. I didn't regret loving Dale and I never would but how different would our stories have been if they'd been honest from the beginning.